Zoe Empowers

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
454671349
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Raleigh, NC, USA
Phone
9197797272
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Relief

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$8,511,782
Expenses
$9,495,035
Assets
$8,564,586
Liabilities
$12,974

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Gaston Warner (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • Gaston Warner (CEO): $122,500 total reported compensation
  • Wendy Lee (Chief Development Officer): $102,500 total reported compensation
  • Laura Nemecek (Chief Monitoring & Evaluation Officer): $79,928 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Zoe Empowers is a global network of local organizations throughout Africa and India providing a replicable and scalable framework whereby youth led or resourced families are provided the training, resources, and community support to become safe and healthy, skilled for longterm success, reintegrated into their communities, and able to live meaningful lives while knowing they are loved.

What it reported doing in 2025

Zoe Empowers operates a similar three-year empowerment program in each of the program countries listed below. In each country, youth led families in extreme poverty are gathered into peer groups comprised of approximately 25 families of approximately 85 total orphaned and vulnerable children and youth (OVCY). While their community stands behind them, indigenous Zoe staff from the local Zoe NGO coordinate the training and resources these young people need to become safe and healthy, skilled for long term success, and able to lead meaningful lives wrapped in layers of community. After three years, youth graduate sustainably self-sufficient across multiple areas of life with robust community support. Groups carry-on meeting post-graduation for mutual support, and independent research suggests graduates continue to progress in their success. In each country, the local and national governments may provide free resources to the Zoe program such as agriculture and vocational training, land for farming, and free meeting space. The number of OVCY served in each Zoe Empowers program country in 2025 and in total are listed below: Kenya served 17,483 OVCY, with approximately 65,999 empowered since 2007. Rwanda served 16,402 OVCY, with approximately 62,101 empowered since 2007. Zimbabwe served 9,138 OVCY, with approximately 32,562 empowered since 2009. Malawi served 8,484 OVCY, with approximately 26,133 empowered since 2013. Liberia served 4,781 OVCY, with approximately 15,511 empowered since 2014. Chennai, India served 5,608 OVCY, with approximately 13,612 empowered since 2014. Vizag India served 6,106 OVCY, with approximately 8,638 empowered since 2019. Tanzania served 5,867 OVCY, with approximately 9,695 empowered since 2019. Mozambique served 3,974 OVCY, with approximately 4,721 empowered since 2022. South Sudan served 2,022 OVCY starting in 2023. Uganda served 2,085 OVCY starting in 2024. Zambia served 1,176 OVCY starting in 2024. Eswatini served 782 OVCY starting in 2025. At the point in time of November 1, 2025, 83,908 OVCY were active in the Zoe empowers program with 246,640 having been empowered since 2007.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 92% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 93
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 31
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 91.8%; rating input score 92
  • Fundraising efficiency: $19.46 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -11.6%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.9; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.2%; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10.6% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.8% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.3% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 91.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $8.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $122K · 16 people listed
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2013 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 8/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 58/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 30/100.